Effect of occupation-based interventions in patients with haematopoietic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy: A pilot randomised controlled trial.
Akira Sagari, Yuta Ikio, Nobuko Imamura and 4 others
PMID 30643497WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with haematopoietic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy who received occupation-based therapy using the ADOC activity tool had better emotional well-being and overall quality of life than those receiving impairment-based therapy.
Strength, balance, walking and daily activities did not improve clearly.
Key findings
01The occupation-based group did better than the impairment-based group on emotional well-being and total quality of life score changes.
02Neither group showed clear improvement within itself on the measured outcomes.
03The pilot enrolled 28 patients and analysed 19, and no important adverse or unintended effects were reported.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was a pilot with only 19 analysed patients, although 28 were enrolled. The paper's own power calculation said 113 patients would be needed. It was conducted at a single centre, so the result may not apply to other hospitals or patients. Patients and therapists knew which treatment was given; only the assessors were blinded. The trial used Zelen's method, and the authors say this design may have influenced the results. Several patients were transferred between groups, deteriorated, died, had uncontrolled pain or refused participation.
Declared interests
The Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists funded the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the better emotional well-being and overall quality of life scores as proof that occupation-based therapy improves physical function or daily activities. The pilot analysed 19 patients, and the paper reports no clear improvement within either group.